Shakened
by babyphd
Summary: Tragedy hits the Bartlet family while on a family vacation in Mexico.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Thank you all for coming. This has been a great week. To have all of my family together in one spot has meant a great deal to your mother and me. These past few years have been hard for each of you and I know you have made sacrifices. The biggest one I had to make was not to be able to participate in my children and grandchildren's lives. I leave the White House in a year and I will be spending a lot more time in my favorite roles—that of father and grandfather. And I'm looking forward to being active in your lives again."

Abbey's eyes sparkled with tears as she listened to her husband put into such eloquent words her own feelings. Speaking had always been one of Jed's strengths. She was just bursting with pride that everybody had managed to arrange their schedule so the entire family could experience such a good time. Jed had not had a true vacation in two years and she was determined to get him away from the stress of the office. It hadn't been easy to arrange the Presidential schedule, and have that match the schedules of six other people. But somehow, they had managed to pull this off. And they had had a great week, especially with the grandchildren.

Annie and Gus had a great time swimming in the ocean with their grandfather. Gus had giggled as he covered his grandfather with sand. Bucket after bucket of sand had been poured on their grandfather. Neither of the children minded the work. Annie was old enough to realize just how special this time was. In the past seven years she had rarely seen her grandfather anyplace but the farm or the White House. Most times she would be watching some news clip of him giving a speech or traveling to some far off country.

Speaking of the press, CJ had done a good job of keeping them away from the family. She arranged some sort of a deal. The family would pose for pictures at the beginning of the vacation and at the end. In between, the press would keep out of sight. Abbey didn't want the grandchildren to experience first hand the goldfish bowl environment that the rest of the family has had to endure. And the press had kept the deal. Abbey didn't know how she had arranged it, but CJ certainly deserved a raise. She would have to talk with Jed about that.

"Abbey, do you want to say anything?" Jed's question brought her back to the present.

Shaking her head 'No', she knew that she would only get up there and cry.

As Jed was sitting down, a strange noise started in the private dining room. The room started shaking while the floor was beginning to roll. Quickly, all hell broke loose.

The windows began to shatter and glass flew everywhere. The Secret Service agent closest to the President and the First Lady tried to reach them, but was pushed to the floor as he was hit by falling debris.

Jed reached for Abbey and tried to pull her under the table with him. He hoped that the table would protect them. Each family member tried to reach out to find somebody else. As they all hit the floor, the ceiling collapsed and covered everybody with timber, concrete, and debris.

The shaking continued for another minute, then stopped. The eerie quiet was in sharp contrast to the noise that had just flowed through the room.

The quiet continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"CJ."

"Yes, Leo?"

"I just wanted to tell you that the President and the First Lady really appreciate the deal you made with the press regarding pictures of the family on vacation. He sounded so rested this morning when I was giving him the daily update."

"Thanks, Leo. I really begged the press to leave them alone as much as possible. Most of these reporters have children and understand the need to have some time just alone with them. I told them if I heard of one reporter breaking the deal he was going to be in my doghouse. And let me tell you, nobody wants to be in MY doghouse." CJ rubbed her hands with gleeful anticipation.

Leo laughed. "Well, whatever you did seems to have worked. The President hasn't been on a true vacation in over two years and he desperately needed to get away. And Jed needed quiet time with his family. They have seen so little of him over these past few years that he might as well be a stranger to them. I'm sure those two grandchildren will soon fall in love their grandfather all over again."

It was extremely rare that Leo referred to Jed by anything other than the President. So CJ knew that this family time for the Bartlets was special for him as well. Leo had been keeping things running here at the White House, and hoping no major international crisis would require the President's return to Washington.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two weeks ago Abbey had come to Leo and pleaded with him to find some uninterrupted time for Jed. After looking at the schedule, there were several openings this week. After making sure that nothing else was urgent, he cleared the entire Presidential schedule for one whole week. It was just one of those rare occurrences that that was no international leader scheduled for a state visit and no speeches were scheduled. Other business could be rearranged. In fact, he threatened the Senior Staff with death if they breathed a word to the President about even a potential problem. They readily agreed.

While it took some time to persuade the President that he could take some time off, it didn't take any time for the family members to rearrange their schedules. Abbey had already told them that if she could find time, they had sure better rearrange their schedules. A week at the beach with Jed and Abbey seemed to move them to clear their calendars in a hurry.

Liz, Doug, and the grandchildren arrived at the White House the afternoon before departure. Jed was so happy to have his whole family under one roof at the same time. Six months ago at Christmas was the last time they had all been together. Even then the responsibilities of the office weighed heavily on him. He couldn't even sit through a complete Christmas Dinner without being called away for an international crisis. He was looking forward to his well-deserved vacation. And because the whole family was going, it would make this very special. One that they would long remember.

After a family dinner, they went to bed because a six am departure time would come very soon.

As usual, the President had some trouble waking up, but Abbey quickly opened his eyes with some of his favorite action. After a shared shower, they were ready to go when Charlie knocked on the door and said the limo was ready.

All of the family climbed into the limousine for the drive to Andrews. Five year old Gus slept on his grandfather's lap while Annie yawned all the way to the plane. The rest of the family could barely keep their eyes open as well. They had had some coffee before they left the White House, but were still not wide awake. Only Jed and Abbey were truly awake.

Upon arrival, Jed had carried his sleeping grandson aboard the plane. Although he knew this would make his back hurt, he wanted to do the little things that grandfathers do. The rest of the family had boarded the plane and was just waiting for the President to finally make it up the stairs. At the top, Jed handed Gus off to his father. The sleeping child was taken to the Presidential bedroom, and laid gently on the bed. Doug decided to stay with him until after takeoff so he wouldn't have to wake him to place a seatbelt around him.

Jed went straight to his office. The girls and Annie were already there, and had their seat belts fastened. He reached for the phone. Nothing gave him the sense of power more than telling the pilot he could leave. And he loved to show off in front of his girls.

"You can go now."

With that, the engines revved up, and Air Force One was rolling down the runway. Off to Mexico for a much-needed family vacation.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Only a skeleton staff accompanied the President on this family vacation. A military attaché accompanied the President at all times. Ron, in his usual role, accompanied the President no matter where he went. A number of Secret Service Agents had been assigned to the group. But because the family was all together, some of the agents usually assigned to family duty had been given some time off.

CJ had wanted to go with them, but Jed had said no. She could send one assistant, but she was needed at the White House to manage the press that had not left for Mexico. This was a family vacation, not an official Presidential function. Reluctantly, she had agreed. Her staff had fallen all over themselves to be picked. Heck, even if it was supposed to be a working trip, at least the work was in Mexico at a prime ocean resort. CJ gave the assistant explicit instructions to keep the press as far away as possible. She had carefully negotiated the deal, and she wanted to know who had the nerve to break it. CJ secretly hoped a couple of specific reporters would, because she wanted them in her doghouse.

Charlie had told the President that he was going, but Jed again said no. He could certainly pick out his own shorts. Besides, what was a wife for if it wasn't for telling her husband his clothes didn't match? Jed told Charlie to take some time off. He also reluctantly agreed. The President, now that he had finally gotten some private time, certainly meant it to be that way.

It didn't take long for everybody to wake up, and get excited about the trip. Annie and Gus enjoyed the time on the trip with their grandfather, who gave them his undivided attention. Games came out of cabinets in his office and Jed was down on the floor playing with them. It was the little things like this that he had missed, and was determined to recapture once he left the White House for good. Abbey smiled because she knew how much he had missed over the years. First, missing special times with the girls and then being so busy, he rarely had time to see the grandchildren, nonetheless have uninterrupted play time.

After a six-hour flight, Air Force One landed at a Mexican military base near their destination. The President of Mexico had graciously offered this convenience when the President himself had called. The Mexican President knew that, although this was a private trip, the amount of free publicity would do the national tourism program a great deal of good. The Presidential limousine, already flown to Mexico, was waiting for the family to disembark.

After the limousine started moving, everybody was excitedly talking about the first thing they would do. Zoey wanted to go snorkeling. Ellie wanted to check out the pool. Doug and Liz wanted to take the children to the beach and find seashells. Abbey and Jed both smiled at the happy chatter in the car. It had been too long a time since they heard this kind of talk from their family.

Jed reached over and squeezed Abbey's hand. "Thank you," he said. "Thank you for making this happen."

She leaned over and kissed him.

Before she sat back, she whispered something in his ear. His smile got wider. He now knew what their plans were. And it didn't involve children of any kind.

The La Paz resort was beautiful. Although older and smaller than many they could have chosen, the location and peacefulness was perfect. White stucco walls with red tile roofs made it look like a beachside resort. Away from the main part of town with private tropical rain forests all around, La Paz had everything a vacationing family could want. Every room was a suite with a huge sitting area overlooking the pristine blue ocean and white sand. Private balconies were just outside each bedroom area, just right for sleeping under the stars.

Activities such as horseback riding, snorkeling, sailing and swimming were immediately available. If the visitor just wanted to walk along the beach or soak up some sun by the pool, people wouldn't swamp them. As important, the Secret Service had signed off on the location because it was more secure than some of the more fancy resorts. Being more secluded, gave the President and his family more time to just be themselves than if they had been elsewhere. La Paz had always catered to the rich and famous and was thrilled when the President of the United States and his family had decided to stay with them. It would be a publicity coup, but only after the Presidential party had had a positive experience.

Every day was a gift from heaven. The laughter was contagious. Jed had never had so much play time. He played with Annie and Gus in the ocean waves. He had them bury him in sand. Gus just giggled with glee with each bucket of sand he poured over his grandfather.

Jed took time with the grandchildren to do whatever they wanted to do. He took Annie snorkeling and saw the beautiful underwater flora and fish. Gus wanted to walk along the beach and look for seashells. His little fingers would pick something up and then he would turn and ask his grandfather what it was. His grandfather, as usual, had a ready answer. Gus didn't really care if it was the right one. He just knew that he was walking along a beach holding his grandfather's hand.

It was perfect.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Leo! Leo! Turn up the TV!" Josh was shouting as he ran to the Chief of Staff's office.

Leo turned up the volume and looked in horror at what he was seeing and hearing.

"I repeat, a 7.3 earthquake has been reported along the western coast of Mexico. Indications are that it was centered near Mazatlan and was felt as far north as San Diego and south to the Guatemalan border. Please stay tuned on this breaking story."

The initial pictures were from a plane circling the hardest hit area around Mazatlan, right where the President and his family were vacationing.

"Oh my God!" Those words escaped from CJ as she and Toby hurried into Leo's office and viewed the scenes being shown on TV. They had heard Josh shouting and had come running.

Leo knew that the Secret Service was always in touch and dialed them. "This is McGarry!" he shouted into the phone. "What's the situation with the President?"

The group in his office strained to hear the response.

They watched Leo's face turn from worry to anger. "What do you mean you have no contact with them? You always stay in touch with the agents. I understand that conditions have drastically changed, but surely you have some way of getting in contact with them!"

Apparently the answer was more of the same. "Well find him! And call me back the minute you have any news!" Leo slammed the phone down and looked up at the assembled group.

"Initial reports are not from the agents with the President, but those at the military base with Air Force One. They report serious damage to the area around the military base. Some agents are trying to get to the resort where the President and his family were staying, but mudslides are making the road impassible. They have requested a helicopter from the Mexican authorities and will try to reach the resort that way. Margaret! Get me the Mexican Ambassador right now. And I don't care how busy he is!"

Leo finally took a breath and sat down. "Now all we can do is wait. I'll ask the Ambassador to offer his country's assistance and I'm sure he will."

Each member of the Senior Staff silently said a prayer for the safety of the President and his family. It had been such a perfect week and now it had come to an end. Hopefully not a tragic end.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

As the debris quit falling, Abbey slowly began to regain consciousness. She suddenly realized what had happened. An earthquake!

"Jed!" She shouted, but got no response. "Jed!" Still no response.

As she tried to move, her right leg wouldn't respond with the rest of her body. She struggled to see clearly. The last thing she remembered was Jed trying to pull her under a table while the whole building came down around them. In the darkness, she raised her left hand and found open air. That meant that the table had not protected her.

She moved her hand further down her body, checking for any damage. She reached her right knee and realized the table had toppled, pinning her knee and leg. As she tried to move, the pain waves were so intense she quietly screamed.

'Okay,' she thought. 'I won't do that again.'

But she had to find Jed.

Again she called out, "JED!"

"Ma'am, just stay still. We need to find a stretcher and then we'll move you."

A Secret Service agent appeared in her line of vision with a flashlight. Cuts on her face showed that she had also gotten caught in the debris, but was still able to get around.

"Where's my husband?"

"We've located the President and are in the process of removing debris from around him. He's conscious and talking with us. I think he has some cuts from the glass and maybe a mild concussion. I'm not a doctor, but we're trying to get one here right now. As you can expect, it's very chaotic right now. He's very worried about you and the rest of the family."

"Oh my God! How is everybody?"

"Ma'am, we don't know yet. Our priority is the President, but we are searching for the others."

Abbey tried not to cry, but it was an effort not to give in to the pain and sadness. Her heart sank when the agent had informed her that they had not yet found the rest of her family. She knew that the agents' priority was Jed, and that they would do all they could for the others. But her heart was heavy.

"Okay, ma'am. We're going to lift you now. Please hold still while we put you on the stretcher."

Abbey knew what was coming next. Intense pain as her leg was moved with the rest of her body to the stretcher. She tried to hold back but a scream escaped. "Shit!"

The pain decreased just a little after she was situated on the stretcher, but waves of pain were continuing to roll across her body. Straps were fastened around her so she would not fall. As the agents moved to take her out of the demolished dining room, she screamed, "NO! Not without my husband!"

"Ma'am, you need medical attention right now." The agent insisted that she be moved.

"NO! I will not leave until I know about my husband and the rest of my family."

A familiar voice reached through the pain. "Now, Abigail. Don't give these people any trouble."

The voice was soon replaced by a face she longed to see. Bright blue eyes looked at her from above.

"You do need immediate medical attention. I'll stay while the agents find the others. Now go on and don't give these nice people any more trouble."

Abbey looked at Jed and saw cuts scattered across his face. One cut looked particularly nasty, and an agent was trying to place a bandage on it.

"Jed, I'll go on but with one promise. You must promise me to get some help for you first. These people, as you call them, are professionals and will do everything it takes to find our family. Do you promise?"

Jed knew that saying yes was the only way Abbey was going to leave him. "Okay. I'll let them take care of me for right now. But I like it better when we play doctor."

"Jed!" Although it was no secret that this First Couple expressed deep love for each other on a regular basis, the actual public discussion of their games was just a bit embarrassing.

Jed smiled as Abbey blushed. "Your sunburn is showing!"

After giving her a quick kiss, he turned to the agents he said, "Take care of her."

"Yes, Mr. President. We will."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Mr. President, the White House is on the phone."

Jed took the satellite phone from the agent as he sat outside what was left of the hotel dining room where not so long ago he was expressing his deep thanks to such a wonderful and loving family. Ron really wanted him inside, but there was no inside to shelter him.

"Hello, Leo."

"Yes, Mr. President. How are you doing?"

"A couple of cuts from flying glass and maybe a mild concussion. Apparently I went under a table just as the ceiling fell and it protected me for the most part."

"That's good to hear. How are the others?" Leo only knew that the President had been recovered in fairly good shape. But he had not been given any information on the others.

"Well…," Jed started, but had difficulty continuing. "Abbey has a severely broken leg. Apparently a table was pushed over on top of her legs as the debris fell and it pinned her underneath. But she's being taken care of, and she's probably already at the hospital. The girls are also fine considering the destruction of the room that we were in. Doug has some serious crushing injuries as he was apparently trying to reach Gus and didn't get under any cover before the ceiling came down. Leo…"

The President was crying by this time. "Leo… They can't find Gus or Annie. The debris is so deep in certain parts of the room that they are taking their time making sure they don't do anymore damage. Leo… what if they can't be found? They're the apple of our eyes and it'll devastate Liz and Abbey if anything happens to them." What Jed didn't say was how crushed he would be as well.

Both Jed and Leo said silent prayers for the rescuers to find the children alive.

"Liz is so torn. She needs to be with Doug, but she won't leave without her children. I finally told her that I would stay and she should go on to the hospital with Doug. The Service was not happy with that decision, but I will not leave without all of my family."

"I understand, Mr. President."

Changing the subject, the President asked, "How big was it, Leo? The destruction around here is just incredible."

"It was 7.3 on the Richter Scale and centered just south of where you are staying. We have offered assistance to the Government of Mexico and they have accepted."

"Good, Leo. I know you can handle the issues there. I'm staying here as long as I can, but you can reach me through the Secret Service if you need to. Tell the Vice-President to get out of my chair."

"He's not in it yet, Mr. President." Leo smiled at that picture. This began to sound like the old Jed.

"Good. Keep him out. Tell everyone I send my best. And Leo?"

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"Pray for the children, Leo. They need it."

"I already have."

"Thanks. Guess I'll hang up now. Keep me in the loop."

As Leo hung up the phone, he gave a soft grunt. Yeah, like he could keep the President out of the loop.

Leo turned to see three expectant faces in his office. He didn't know where to start.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jed finally made it to the hospital about an hour later. The doctors wanted to take an x-ray of his head to make sure that his condition wasn't more serious than they initially thought, but his care was not his priority.

With the city in shambles, it was pure luck that the most modern hospital in Mazatlan had not been severely damaged. Power had been disrupted, but the hospital was working off emergency generators. The staff was swamped with injuries and critical patients. But it was an honor that the American President had chosen their hospital for his care.

The hospital administrator had been notified that the President was going to be in town on a private visit. This was routine planning by the Secret Service every time the President left Washington. Rarely does this plan have to be implemented. But this time, it was implemented not only for the President but for the members of his family as well.

The agents took him to a secluded area of the hospital.

"I need to see Abbey and Liz right now. Where are they?"

Ron listened on his earplug and replied, "Mr. President, the First Lady is in emergency surgery. The table lacerated a major vessel in her leg, and they had to take her to surgery to stop the bleeding. Your daughters are in the First Lady's room. Your son-in-law is also in surgery for treatment of the chest injuries he received during the quake."

Jed nodded, and asked Ron to take him to be with the girls. Someone had to tell them the news.

Jed hesitated to open the door, but finally took a deep breath and walked in. Three faces looked up to him expectantly.

"Daddy!" Zoey leaped from the chair and tightly hugged her father. He looked over her shoulder at the two older girls. Jed pushed Zoey away and asked her to sit down.

"I have some news."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

All three girls looked at him, waiting expectantly for the next words, but not really wanting to hear them.

Jed turned to Liz and took her hands.

"Honey. They found Annie. She's alive. Apparently she was able to scramble under a table that held up when the debris hit. She's downstairs in the emergency room right now. She was cut by flying glass and was unconscious when they found her, but she's awake and talking now."

Liz's face lit up with this news, then realized he had not included Gus in that information.

Hesitantly, Liz asked about Gus.

Looking directly into her eyes Jed gave her the devastating news. "Gus was found behind where Doug was located. He was apparently crushed when all that debris fell. He didn't make it."

Jed knew the anguish that escaped from Liz's throat. He had known for the past thirty minutes and was experiencing the same.

All of the girls began sobbing. As they cried, he gathered them up in his arms and held them as tightly as he could. He knew that there were no words to say that would make it better.

Liz pulled back first.

"Do you want me to go see Annie?"

"No." Liz replied. She tried to wipe her face dry. "I need to be with my child with right now. Dad, if you hear anything about Doug, please come and get me."

The reference to 'my child' broke his heart. He had loved Gus as much as anyone, and he knew that Abbey would not take this news very well. Gus was at an age when everything was a discovery to him and Jed had been so glad to have this week to share in his grandson's awe. Now it really meant the world to him. He would always treasure those memories. Only a few that he had.

Now to tell Abbey. That was going to be the hardest.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Abbey returned to her room groggy. Jed had asked Zoey and Ellie to leave them alone. They knew the impact this would have on their mother, and knew that it was right for their father to give her the news.

"Jed. Jed…"

"Yes, honey. I'm right here." Jed grasped her hand to reassure her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Abbey. I'm fine. The doctors said your leg would be fine. It'll take a while, but you should make a full recovery."

"How's the rest of the family?"

Jed hesitated.

"What is it, Jed?" Abbey immediately sensed the hesitancy.

Jed knew that she had to know, and he should be the one to tell her.

As he spoke, he took her hand. "Abbey, our girls are fine. Cuts and scrapes, but they will be fine. Doug was crushed by debris, and is in surgery right now. The doctors say it will be touch and go. Annie was found under a table and again, except for cuts and bruises and a possible mild concussion, she should be okay. Liz is with her right now."

Even through the fog Abbey knew that one person was unaccounted for.

"Gus?"

"I am so sorry, Abbey. He didn't make it. Apparently he was crushed when the ceiling fell down. The doctors think that was how Doug was injured, trying to reach him." As Abbey started to cry, so did Jed.

"Oh Jed! NO! Not little Gus!" Abbey's crying intensified. All Jed could do was to hold her hand and touch her face. His eyes met hers, and knew the depths of despair that they held. "Not my baby!"

They stayed that way for a long time.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

There was a soft knock at the door. Liz stuck her head around the corner and asked to come in. Abbey stretched out her arms as her oldest daughter ran to her.

"Oh Mom. Why did it have to be Gus? Why? I was there. It should have been me." Liz and her mother were sobbing together.

"Shhh. Be quiet. Gus is with God and he's fine. We had him such a short time but he gave all of us such great pleasure. Shhh. It'll be okay. Your father and I will be here for you and your family. Whatever you need, we'll take care of it."

Trying to change the subject, Abbey asked about Doug. All Liz could do was to start crying again. "Mom, the doctors are not positive he'll make it. He suffered broken ribs that punctured his lungs. His heart was also crushed when the debris hit his sternum. Oh, Mom, I need him so much right now."

"Shhh. We'll deal with whatever happens. We'll help you through this." Abbey said the words, but inside she prayed that Doug would make it. It would devastate Liz to lose both her husband and her son at the same time.

Liz and Abbey stayed this way for some time.

Jed returned to Abbey's room after seeing his granddaughter. Liz had told Annie that Gus was dead. Anne started crying, with her mother holding her gently. Then someone had given her a teddy bear. She fell asleep in her mother's arms in the room next to Abbey. Although almost 14 years old, sometimes one still needed comfort from the little things.

He walked in on Abbey hugging Liz and both women crying softly.

There was then a knock on the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Mrs. Weston?"

Liz stood up and said, "I'm Mrs. Weston."

Jed unconsciously moved to his daughter's side.

"Mrs. Weston, I'm sorry to inform you that your husband just died. His injuries…"

Liz would have collapsed if Jed hadn't grabbed her arm as her knees gave way. He guided her to a chair, and gently lowered her into it.

"Continue please, Doctor."

"Yes, Mr. President. As I was saying, Mrs. Weston, your husband's injuries were just too severe. His heart couldn't handle the crushing of his chest and just stopped. We tried several times, but he did not respond to anything we tried. I'm so sorry."

By now, everybody was crying.

"I want to see him."

"Certainly."

Jed asked, "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No thanks, Dad. I need to go by myself. How am I going to tell Annie?" Liz hesitated for just a second. "Well, right now she is asleep and I will not wake her up. She'll need her strength for what's ahead."

Liz turned and left with the Doctor.

Jed walked to Abbey's side, and reached over to hug her. Both cried together.

"Oh Jed! What if this had been you? I know how Liz feels."

"Shh. Just let it out. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you. We'll be here together to help Liz and Annie."

Jed drew back and grabbed her hand. "Right now, you need to rest. We have a long road ahead of us. We all have been though a lot today and the road ahead will be tough. But we'll get through it as a family."

She knew Jed was right. The road ahead would be tough, but they could get through anything as long as Jed and she had each other.

Abbey finally nodded off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The flight home from Mexico was in sharp contrast to the start of the vacation. Abbey had stayed in the hospital for a couple of days before the doctors would release her. She was brought aboard Air Force One in a wheelchair. The surgeon had placed a plate on the tibia and used screws to put her fibula back together. It wasn't going to an easy recovery for Abbey. It wasn't going to be easy for anybody.

Jed was very anxious to get Liz and her family back home as soon as possible. Ron was very anxious to get the President back into a more secure location. The only way the doctors would agree was for Abbey to promise to take it easy on the trip home. She promised to stay in the bedroom for the entire trip. Pain pills were issued for her use. Ellie promised to take good care of her. Liz and Annie had to get home and bury their family.

It was a sad time for the family, and the world, as they watched two coffins loaded into the cargo bay. One big one and a little one. Side-by-side. Liz and Annie stood by the plane with tears running down their faces. Liz had agreed to this one photo op on the understanding that the funeral would be private. Somehow CJ had gotten the press to agree.

Nobody said much on the plane. It was going directly to Manchester where Doug and Gus would be buried. Liz stayed with Annie, who cried most all the way home. Annie's aunts would relieve Liz and just hold Annie in their arms. Jed stayed with Abbey in the bedroom, trying to understand the how and why of what had just occurred. They worried about Liz and Annie, and only hoped that eventually they would be okay.

"They're both tough, Abbey. They'll be okay." Jed said what he thought Abbey needed to hear.

Abbey dropped her head back onto her pillow with a watery sigh. "God, Jed. So much heartache. I don't know if I can survive another loss like this."

"Abbey. You know that we'll never know why those two were chosen. But they are together and we must take strength in that knowledge."

"I know that we must rely on our faith. But it's so hard." With that, Abbey broke down into more tears. Tears that just kept on coming.

He stayed with her until she fell asleep. They were still 3 hours from home.

Jed moved to the office, and found only sadness there as well. Liz was holding Annie on one couch and the other two girls were sitting on the opposite sofa just holding hands and softly crying.

It was going to take a long time to recover from this trip.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

CJ had traded the photo op at the airbase in Mexico for the privacy of the family at the service.

Liz was adamant that her life was private, and these deaths were to be private as well. This was a family with deep grief and she didn't want it shown around the world.

The Senior Staff attended in respect to the President and First Lady. Because the Bartlet and Weston family had many local friends, space was at a premium in the church. The First Lady was in a wheelchair sitting next to the pew with Liz and Annie. The President sat next to Annie with Zoey and Ellie completing the row.

"Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them."

With these words echoing from the mass, the family left for the cemetery. On the way, no one spoke. At the cemetery, Liz and Annie kissed both coffins and each placed a white rose on each coffin. It was at this point, Jed finally started to cry. He had been strong since the news came about Doug's death, but he had finally realized how devastating this would be to Liz, Annie, and the rest of the Bartlet family.

Liz wanted them to come by the house afterwards, but Jed knew that Abbey had reached her limits.

Before they pulled away from Liz's house, Jed asked Abbey, "Do you want to go to the farm, or go back to the White House?"

"Where are you going?"

"I have to get back to Washington, but you can stay at the farm. We can arrange for someone to help you and then you can be here for Liz."

There was really no choice for Abbey. "I want to be with you. Always."

Jed leaned over to Abbey and softly sealed that promise with a kiss. Their family had been shaken and they needed strength to carry on. And that strength could only come from each other.

Till death do they part.

THE END


End file.
